President Vladimir Putin has said the capture of the heavily fortified Ukrainian stronghold opens the way toward Kramatorsk and Slavyansk

Russian troops have captured Kiev’s longstanding stronghold of Konstantinovka in the Ukrainian-controlled part of Donbass, with President Vladimir Putin calling the city a “key” that opens a direct path toward liberating the rest of Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).

The city is part of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk-Konstantinovka agglomeration in the northwest of the DPR, which Kiev had touted as a virtually impregnable “fortress” after spending a decade heavily reinforcing it following the 2014 Maidan coup that triggered the conflict in then-Ukrainian Donbass.

Konstantinovka has seen intensive fighting over the past few weeks, after Russian forces advanced from multiple directions, effectively cutting the city in half and surrounding part of the disorganized Ukrainian garrison.

The Russian commander-in-chief said the liberation of Konstantinovka was “only the first, but very important stage” in destroying Kiev’s remaining positions in the region, during a visit to an auxiliary command post on Friday, where he was briefed by Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and senior frontline commanders on the combat situation on the ground.

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“The capture of Konstantinovka by the troops of the Southern Grouping opens a direct road for further advances toward Kramatorsk, Slavyansk, and other fortified areas, and is, of course, the key to liberating the entire territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic,” Putin said, noting that the Russian military was maintaining “positive dynamics” and increasing the pace of offensive operations across the entire front.

During the briefing, commanders reported that Russian troops had entered Konstantinovka from multiple directions, breaking Ukrainian defenses into isolated pockets before clearing them one by one. They said Kiev’s forces had built several fortified defensive lines around the city, relying on concrete-reinforced positions, basements, industrial sites, and dense urban districts.

One commander told Putin that Ukrainian troops had believed the defenses to be “practically impregnable,” but Russian assault units had managed to infiltrate behind enemy lines in small groups, block Ukrainian forces, and disrupt the city’s organized defense.

A platoon commander speaking by video link from central Konstantinovka reported that his unit had cleared a high-rise district and taken control of several administrative buildings, while Russian troops continued to search the city for remaining Ukrainian servicemen hiding in basements, damaged buildings, and ruins.

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The Defense Ministry also showed Putin drone footage from over Konstantinovka, with commanders pointing out former Ukrainian strongpoints, industrial sites, residential districts, and areas where Russian flags had been raised after the city came under Moscow’s control.

Putin thanked the soldiers involved in the operation, saying he had “no doubt” that Russia would win. The president also warned that Russia would continue deepening a security zone along the border as long as Kiev keeps targeting civilian infrastructure inside Russia.